Last Pages
by korinoni
Summary: They wanted to rewrite the picture book's ending together, but nobody had told them the last page could be more than one. A collection of one shots following Zero Two and Hiro's journey through her pregnancy… and more!
1. our victory

**Author's Note** : Hello! This is the first fanfiction I've ever written... and I'm very nervous to publish it, hahah. English is not my native language so if you find grammar mistakes, please forgive me… I'm trying my best!

This is a collection of one shots about Hiro and Zero Two's pregnancy journey. It's not a multi-chapter fanfiction, so the chapters aren't chronologically related; they are just linked.

Everything takes place after VIRM's defeat and our couple's return on Earth. How they made it back and reunited with Squad 13 is up to you, but if you want to read about dinobabies then you may enjoy this, I hope! And if you do, feel free to tell me, all type of reviews are accepted, obviously.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Darling in the Franxx and/or its characters. The fanart used for the cover page was found on reddit, I honestly don't know who drew it and unfortunately there's no watermark on the pic. So... credits to whoever made it!

* * *

Promises could be frail, broken and forgotten, but the Squad 13 members fought to keep theirs, achieving their task. The world they built waiting for Zero Two and Hiro's return from the battle against VIRM didn't need parasites or codes; this new reality was simply named _life,_ and the day the two lovers came back... humanity couldn't have shone brighter.

These cheerful days were, however, troubled by some events regarding Zero Two.

She was lying down on a bed. Her skin was bit paler than usual, and some sweat drops were visible on her forehead. Having her body and mind separated for about two years was surely taking a toll on her well-being, and the past weeks hadn't surely been her best ones.  
The aftermath of the space battle hadn't been easy for Hiro as well, actually, but apparently his body was handling it better… or so he and everyone thought.

He was sitting next to her, holding her right hand with his left while his other one was gently pressing a wet cloth on her forehead. His blue irises were set on her; sweet, caring but transparent enough to reveal the concern and anguish devouring him.

Some of the girls were standing in the room trying to offer their help.

"It's happening a lot lately…" Miku broke the silence, addressing Ichigo.

The blue haired girl decided to speak up. "Hiro, maybe you should discuss this with Nana-nee."

"Nana-san?"

"Y-Yes. Maybe she can figure this out by running some tests on Zero Two."

 _Tests, uh?_

Even though things were quite different now and light years away from the sorrowful times spent at Garden, the sole idea of letting them run some tests on Zero Two made his spine freeze. They wouldn't torture her, this for sure, and he would never allow it. How could he even tell her, knowing the hell she'd been through, anyway? How? But what if he just brushed this thought off? Zero Two had to feel better. She needed to.  
He could make sure Nana and the others would do everything right and supervise it all… couldn't he? As long as Zero Two was fine with it, obviously. They'd make the whole situation work out in the end too. He didn't want her to suffer. It was for her sake. For theirs.

Few minutes later, the girls agreed to leave the room. Hiro nodded and offered them a slight smile. As he was turning his head to the pink haired girl next to him, he felt her squeezing his hand.

"Darling?"

"Zero Two!" he shouted in relief. "How are you feeling now?"

She tried to lift herself up and Hiro accompanied her movements gently. Although still visibly shaken, her cheeks were slowly regaining their rosy shade.

"Mmh," she replied hoarsely. "I'm good."

She smiled, and his heart literally melted at the sight. They reached for each other's hands again, looking for comfort. He couldn't stop thinking how lucky he was, and for this reason he had to do something.

"Zero Two… you've been losing consciousness a lot lately…"

He was going to tell her.

"…so, so many times. And you've been throwing up a lot too-"

"Daaaaaaarling," she interrupted him. "Stop worrying. I am f-"

He had to.

"I don't think you are." He stopped her. "You know… we could talk to Nana-san. She can help you if we ask her."

She lowered her gaze, abruptly interrupting their eye contact. He didn't have to mention it straight; she knew exactly what he was implying… and where this was leading to.

Noticing her reaction, he squeezed her hand harder. "I will be with you, Zero Two. They'll do nothing harmful to you," he paused. "Nothing I cannot stop." His voice was firm but reassuring and full of care. He meant exactly what he had said, and he was going to fight for her. Always.

"I won't," she muttered, "I'm sorry."

She broke off their hand-in-hand contact as well as she rapidly got up out of the bed, taking some steps away from the place. He had called it, and he was struggling hard not to regret this. _It's for her sake_ , he told himself.

He just needed her to know.

"I didn't mea-"

"I'm fine. Look, darling!"

Zero Two cut him off as she turned her head to him once again. Her hair bounced following the soft and graceful movements of her body and a bright smile appeared on her face. He couldn't help but grin in return.

He was lucky indeed, and he wanted to protect all of this. _All._

* * *

Zero Two needed to clear her mind. She thought a fresh shower might be of help so headed to the girls' bathing place.

 _"Pregnancy?" she curiously asked. "What does this mean, doctor?!"_

 _"When physically united with a man, women have the capability to bear a child. It's the creation of new life, something for the future."_

 _"Future?"_

 _She was amazed. She didn't fully understand the old man's words, but knowing that people had the potential to do such a gorgeous thing filled her heart with so much warmth._

 _Maybe, one day…_

 _"Forget it." the doctor brought her to reality._

 _"Only humans can do that."_

 _Her legs felt suddenly weak._

 _"Humans.", he spoke hastily. "You aren't compatible with it."_

Memories were flowing inside her mind as water soaked her body. The horned girl raised her head up looking lifelessly at the ceiling and feeling the wet sensation right into her face, hoping the water itself would wash away these noises.

Why was she recalling this old conversation though? _Could it be…_

She didn't have an answer, or maybe she was just convincing herself she didn't.

 _No._ The way she had been feeling in these past weeks had some similarities to how Kokoro felt when she- _don't_. She wasn't supposed to think about- _I can't._

She had never been really bothered by this argument. Rather, when the topic approached, she was extremely good at letting it slip her mind.

After VIRM's defeat, she was living the best days ever with the love of her life and her friends; nothing could make her happier. She had found her darling, bonded with him once again, freed humanity and now her eyes were finally set on their future together. As long as she was with him nothing else mattered.

Sometimes, though, she just couldn't help but wonder if this was enough for him. What if he wanted… _more_? Something she couldn't give him?

 _Leaving something for the future._

The mark both of them left was deeper than a chi- _I cannot_.

She knew this was the truth, but why couldn't she stop the voices inside her head this time? Why? Was she really giving up on these noises, believing in something she couldn't do?

 _Don't_.

He loved her no matter what, she knew it already, and nothing could change that.

Her darling's disconcerted look from before snapped her back to reality. She lowered the water's pressure and started looking for some towels.

Zero Two understood where he was coming from hours ago. She did understand him. He was probably right after all, and making him worry this much pained her. She just needed her time to think clearly about it.

Darling's words full of concern and love echoed in her mind and her lips curled up a bit, happily.

Maybe she needed to do this for him. Maybe she could stop those damn voices.

* * *

They were abandoned in their embrace, his arms wrapping her whole body and one of his hands gently stroking her silky hair. The sun was down and nothing but a candle was lighting up their room. They felt at peace, and so safe.

Hiro didn't want to approach the subject twice today. He knew she needed her time and space, and didn't want to force her; for this reason he was surprised when Zero Two mentioned it herself.

"I'll do it, darling," she stated, voice almost trembling. "I don't want to make you worry for me." This was her decision and she was planning to stick with it. Her body would also thank her, if nothing.

He smiled in relief. "I don't want to lose you again." he whispered, glad she'd understand his intentions. He knew she was strong and he was there for her. Whatever the issue was, they were together and always would be.

"Same here." she aligned her body to his and closed the distance with a soft kiss.

Two pairs of glowing red and blue horns accompanied the candle's light.

* * *

"So…" he glanced at her. "How was it?" he giggled. Hiro had stayed with her the whole time to make sure Nana and the assistants were doing what they had to do, and nothing more, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Not scary at all!" she replied cheerfully. "Because you were with me, darling!"

Hiro bent over her carefully, uniting his horns with hers.

Zero Two truly meant these words, and she wanted him to know. As scared as she was for these tests, she had to admit the times had truly changed compared to the days spent at Garden.

Kids weren't used as experiment tools anymore; no more yellow blood cells injections, no more tests, no more inhumanity. They were able to live an ordinary life in which the franxxs were long forgotten, and nobody would be discarded or even considered a failure.

In that moment she felt so grateful to be part of this changing world, and proud for the contribution she had given.

Nana entered the room, clearing her throat to get the couple's attention.  
Their eyes were set on her and the papers she was holding.

"Results are up," she began to speak. "And it looks like you're pregnant, Zero Two."

Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe more than one.

"A baby?" Hiro cried out of happiness, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

His gaze shifted to her figure, tears still flowing from his eyes. They definitely hadn't planned this let alone thought about it. It just happened and he couldn't be happier. A baby… They were having a baby! A little creature who would look like him, or Zero Two… or them both!

"This isn't possible," she stated. "I cannot."

Disbelief and concern appeared on her face. Her eyes were down staring blankly for some seconds, before looking straight into Nana's. "Doctor told me," she paused. "Only humans can carry a child, and I'm not one."

Zero Two wanted to believe those words, and for some reason she didn't dare to look at her darling. Was she afraid? His reaction spoke volumes. He'd be so disappointed to know this was just a misunderstanding.

Nana sighed. "I don't know what the doctor told you, Zero Two, but these results are definitely reliable." She took two of the papers in her hands and showed her. "See? We compared your levels with some from the other girls' in the same condition and they perfectly match."

Hiro took her hand. She gave those a quick look, without actually reading them. She couldn't still face him.

"Besides," Nana continued. "Reproductive organs are necessary to pilot a FranXX."

Her mouth opened wide. That made sense. They knew from the old records they had found that pregnant women couldn't pilot, and code 002 needed to ride more than anybody else in order to save humanity. She was created for this sole purpose after all.

"They lied to you,"

 _Lies?_

"Or Dr. Franks just didn't know that klaxosaur hybrids like you two were able to reproduce." The caretaker winked at Hiro before leaving the room.

 _Lies._ And tears.

Zero Two was crying, really crying. She felt so many emotions at the same time, but she was happy and full of joy more than anything else.  
Those voices inside her head… they were telling her the truth all along and she wanted to enjoy all of it. She was going to be a mom, and her darling a dad.  
This was all she knew.

She finally looked at him. He was still crying, just like her.

Before he realised what was happening, she moved his hand, intertwined with hers, towards her belly and pressed it gently. His heart bounced at the warm feeling.

"Darling…" she sobbed.

They were staring at each other intensely, refusing to let go.

"Zero Two," Hiro tried to speak, troubled by his own crying. "They told you, us, so many lies. But this-" He took a short break to wipe off his tears, unsuccessfully, and as he was about to finish his sentence, he pressed a soft kiss on her belly.

"This is our victory."


	2. reassurance

_If this is a dream…_

Zero Two caressed her growing belly gently, as if she wanted to make sure it was really there.

She repeated this action every morning, and each time a watery smile formed on her face in realisation. Admittedly, casting aside her initial disbelief hadn't been an easy task; the moment a tiny baby bump started to be visible, though, she knew her heart had no rooms for doubts anymore. And this made her so, so happy. The outside world was wonderful indeed, but she didn't expect it to be _this_ wonderful.

 _...then don't wake me up._

Her darling was over the moon as well, of course he was. Hiro loved talking to her now five months pregnant belly; he was sure the baby could hear him, and for this reason he read the picture book for three instead of two. Oh, their son or daughter loved the beast and the prince's story, they just knew! And both of them couldn't wait to show their child the colourful drawings it had inside, especially _that one_ page they wrote and drew from scratch. Zero Two had never thought she'd share her sacred item with anybody else besides darling, but she loved the idea of passing it on to their creature, no, their future. She truly loved it.

Their friends were as excited as them, to say the least.  
Zorome often teased her about the size of her 'basketball' bump, and according to him it was now even bigger than Futoshi's, who surely didn't appreciate the joke but was too busy baking all types of honey biscuits and cakes for a very hungry mom to be.  
On the other hand, Goro and Mitsuru offered Hiro their help with the new flourishing orchards they had planted after the two lovers' departure, so that he could spend more time with his other half. Mitsuru, above all, wanted to give him the all the advice he needed, from dad to dad.  
The girls were also taking particular care of Zero Two: Kokoro was so kind to sew her some maternity dresses, unknowingly giving her the perfect reason to get rid of that red parasite uniform she used to wear. To say the truth, the former Genista's pistil had definitely talent for these handmade jobs and so much experience under her belt already; Ai was the proof of how actually good she was, and Zero Two could only learn the best from her. Ikuno and Naomi checked up on her to confirm everything was going alright while they worked on their yellow blood cells research, Miku styled her hair with braids almost every day and, lastly, Ichigo made sure she was eating healthy enough to compensate for the waterfall of sweets Futoshi was literally giving her.

This is where the pink haired hybrid belonged to, surrounded by people she could trust- and accepted her for who she really was.

When Miku had genuinely wondered whether their baby would have horns, though, she started to question herself again. It was just a harmless question, something out of curiosity, but as simple as it was… it made her think. A lot. And then a vision of that little girl with red skin and blue blood suddenly fleshed out in her mind, accompanied by the doctor and adults' disgusting faces while they attempted to torture her.

 _Monster?_

It wasn't about herself, not at all. She was well aware that humanity wasn't about physical features… but what about the others? Did they know? Maybe they did, but the horns and fangs their baby would inherit from its parents couldn't lie, and just the thought of someone considering him or her a monster broke her heart. The treatment she had to bear as a kid, both physically and mentally, was and had to stay in the past… and there alone, just like darling told her. He was the best at reassuring Zero Two and truth to be told he succeeded most of the time, but this matter kept bugging her occasionally and that was something she couldn't honestly help.

A knock on the door of her room brought her to reality.

Ichigo entered the room slowly as she recalled the reason why she was there in the first place, other than keeping her company of course. She had already informed Hiro she would try to talk to Zero Two earlier that day, although there was no guarantee she was willing to listen to her of all people. It was worth trying though.

"Good morning!"

Zero Two noticed the seemingly yellowish envelope she was placing on the table. _Geez_.

"I told you already," she crossed her arms, in annoyance. "I want to eat _my_ sweets for breakfast. Nothing else."

Seriously, that wasn't hard to understand. Futoshi baked extra stuff for her and she had the right to eat it whenever she wanted and needed, didn't she? It was _hers_ after all.

"We've picked these off the trees today," Ichigo sat next to her, moving the knife gently around the peach she was peeling. "Fruit is better for the baby too, you know."

That was right. But…

"Baby agrees with me, sorry."

The two girls smiled in unison.

Dealing with Zero Two's gluttony was hopelessly entertaining, and now that a special someone got her back each time she asked for something… there was no way to win against _them_. It was just a matter of giving up sooner or later, and needless to say, Hiro failed _badly_ at it. Unlike Ichigo.

* * *

"Happy now?" she muttered as she finished up eating the remaining peach slices. It wasn't that bad, but a sweet pancake topped with lots of honey would have been so much better and satisfying!

Ichigo nodded, and then looked down. She had so many things to say, half of which should have been told sooner. Zero Two needed absolutely to know. She needed to hear it by words.

"You are more human than anybody else, Hiro too. And everyone… everyone thinks so."

She blinked in surprise.

"Even when you were galaxies away, we made sure you two would be known as the ones who taught us what living means," she paused, lifting her head up. "and what love is."

Why was she saying these things now? Was she trying to…?

"Maybe we didn't understand it back then, but we do now. The world we built by ourselves does. We all owe you so much… and the only monsters we know have been defeated by you," tears formed in the corner her eyes. "the symbol of humanity."

Zero Two was left speechless. Even if she didn't get _how_ Ichigo knew what was up in her mind, the timing was perfect; what her friend was trying to say was clear as day, and maybe it was exactly the type of reassurance she needed. Yeah, maybe she just wanted to hear it from someone that wasn't her beloved darling, someone who knew She didn't know if it would be enough, but it surely was in that moment.

She smiled, aware that the new world they were living in would accept with open arms the new life its saviours had created.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : thank you to those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story, I honestly wasn't expecting it! As always, English is not my native language so if you find any grammar mistake… well you know what's up. I hope you enjoy this new update, although the focus is more on Zero Two and Ichigo. I think their friendship has a lot of unexplored potential so I wanted to include it in this one shot, paralleling the apple scene in ep. 14.  
There will surely be more Hiro2 fluffiness in the future, I promise! Ichigo and Goro will be included in the next chapter though… no spoilers. :P


End file.
